Wonderland Paradox
by Tsubasa.Rakka
Summary: Every ending has a beginning and every beginning has and end. As Alice chooses to stay in Wonderland, another foreigner is faced with the same decision. But choosing the path home isn't as easy as it seems. Wonderland is becoming unrestful, and as its inhabitants take sides, a rift will threaten everything that keeps their world together.
1. Chapter 1:The Paradox Begins

**Chapter 1**

 **Yay! I finally began my story! :3 I'm so excited about writing this. There are so many possible directions I want this story to go! Hopefully Tsubasa turns into the character I want her to be, and that I get old characters in-character.**

 **Enjoy chapter 1 of Wonderland Paradox and expect more to come! (I already have lots of plot twists in mind. Heheheh)**

Alice walked down the forest path. These days she did nothing but wander. Partially because she was sick of the constant harassment of everyone here, and partially because she liked reflecting on her decision to stay in Wonderland. She felt it was the right thing to do, but every so often there would be the pang of guilt for leaving her older sister behind. More often than late, Alice had begun to question herself.

She sighed sadly. She had made a decision and needed to stick with it. There was no going back now. _But what if Nee-san could come here?_ she wondered. _Would it be possible for Peter to go back to my world?_ Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a commotion. A scream echoed through the woods. Alice looked around frantically. Where was it coming from? The scream got louder and louder, until Alice finally glanced towards the sky.

"Oof!" Alice cried, as a body landed on top of her. "Hey, what's going o-on?" she faltered as she gaped at the brunette girl. Turquoise eyes met purple ones. The girl jumped to her feet, wincing.

"OUCH! God dammit, that hurt!" she cursed. "Stupid rabbit man pervert!"

The girl brushed her dress off. It was similar to Alice's except it was purple. Brushing long strands of hair off her face, the girl blinked at Alice in surprise.

"Oh my Gosh!" she screamed. Alice started at the unexpected shout. The girl hurriedly picked Alice up off the ground. She twisted her hair nervously.

"I am SO sorry! This is embarrassing. Just my luck to fall on top of somebody! I must be socially awkward." she groaned. "Yep, that's probably the case."

Alice opened and closed her mouth in surprise. This was definitely not what she had expected today. The strange girl continued flustering about, completely forgetting she was there.

"I have the most rotten luck, Onee-san was totally right. Arrghh! No wonder I don't make friends easily!"

Alice rubbed her eyes. She wasn't imagining this was she? The bump on her head said otherwise.

"I can't believe it! It's the worst, rotten, luck in the whole dang-!"

"Excuse me," Alice interrupted. The girl paused and whirled around. Alice continued, "Um, who are you?"

The girl's mouth hung open. Her eyes were wide. "I haven't introduced myself?" she gasped. "Well! In that case..." The girl stuck out a hand. "I'm Tsubasa Rakka."

"Alice Liddiel." she replied, shaking hands. Tsubasa shook her head apologetically.

"Sorry about all that craziness. I can be so rude sometimes." she snorted.

Alice smiled kindly. "No harm done."

Tsubasa brightened considerably. "Really? That's awesome!" she grinned. Then her eyes unfocused as she took in the forest. Tsubasa walked slowly towards a patch of sunlight. She held out her hand and inspected the patches of shadows on it. Then looking to the sky, she raised her hand out as though to ouch the sun.

 _Um,_ Alice thought. _I pretty sure she just forgot about me. She seems to be around my age..._ Her mind wandered to Tsubasa's strange arrival. Humans falling from the sky were not normal, even for Wonderland. What were the chances that Tsubasa was-?

A muffled thump next to her feet interrupted her thoughts. Out of the bushes came a man in a long red coat. He was sprawled out across the ground; his tasseled brown hair was mussed up everywhere. The man lifted up his head and spotted her.

"Look who it is!" he exclaimed, "Alice! What a surprise to run into you!"

Alice gazed disdainfully down at the Knight of Hearts. He pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Are you lost again Ace?" Alice deadpanned. Ace smiled sheepishly.

"I don't think so. I've just completed a mission and I was headed for the Clock Tower." He pointed past Alice's shoulder. "It's that way right?"

"You're pointing the complete opposite direction." Alice groaned. "Honestly Ace, do you have any sense of direction?"

Ace contemplated her statement thoughtfully. "But I was certain my instincts were telling me to head this way..." he muttered. No offense but your instincts suck." Alice said bluntly. Ace smiled and lowered his head shamefully. Alice pointed down the path wearily.

"The Clock Tower's that way. I'll take you there." she sighed. Ace jumped to his feet energetically.

"You're so nice Alice!" he cheered. Before Alice could say more, she felt a presence behind her. Tsubasa stood stiffly, staring at Ace. He cocked his head sideways.

"Who's that Alice?" he asked curiously, but Alice didn't answer. She stared intently at Tsubasa. Her purple eyes were mixed with emotions. Recognition, Disbelief, Amazement, and... Fear? Tsubasa blinked, and Alice could no longer read her feelings.

"My name's Tsubasa." she introduced herself coldly. Ace held out a hand to shake, but she did nothing to take it. He let it hang for a few moments, then let it awkwardly fall to his side.

"Ace, Knight of Hearts and your service." Ace bowed civilly. Tsubasa narrowed her eyes. She crossed her arms firmly. Ace rose from his bow.

"What a cute mad face." he chuckled, "Although Alice was a lot nicer when we met."

Tsubasa's eyes widened. She opened her mouth for a stinging retort, but Alice intercepted.

"Ace," she cautioned, "Julius will be waiting for you..."

"Ha ha ha! I guess you're right." he laughed. "I don't want him to get mad at me."

He turned to walk down the path. Alice grabbed his arm quickly. A vein jumped in her cheek.

"Ace."

"Yes, Alice?"

"YOU'RE GOING THE WORNG DIRECTION!"

 **(The journey to the Clock Tower has begun! :D)**

"I'm pretty sure I know where we are now."

"I'm pretty sure you don't."

"Aww, what happened to your cute personality?"

"Shut up you brute!"

Alice turned irritably to watch Tsubasa whap Ace's head. He sniffed loudly, and touched his red cheek gingerly.

"Tsubasaaaa, that hurt!" he whined.

Tsubasa twitched. "Maybe if you stopped being such an idiot I wouldn't be so fed up with you!" she said furiously.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he sighed, but a grin was still etched across his face.

A muscle jumped in Tsubasa's cheek. "Because you're. An. Idiot. Now wipe that silly smile off your face before I do it for you."

Ace rubbed his check and said nothing.

The silence drew out as they continued walking down the path. Tsubasa and Ace walked side by side. Energy crackled between them like lighting. Alice looked back and forth, wondering which one would explode first.

Fortunately, the Clock Tower came into view a few moments later, peeking over the treetops. Alice picked up her pace. She wanted to get there as fast as she could. The atmosphere between Tsubasa and Ace was now ominous.

As the trio emerged from the forest undergrowth, Ace gazed up at the building.

"We made it!" he cheered. "Nice Alice! I wasn't expecting to get here for at least another 5 more time periods." They entered the tower and hurried up the spiral staircase to the top floor. Ace pushed open the door to reveal a large room.

A bookshelf sat in one corner. Wrenches and odd tools were scattered across the floor. There were boxes stacked up, filled with spare parts. Two tables also occupied the room. A man in dark robes sat the table farthest from the door.

"Julius!" Ace called happily. The man looked up from the clock he had been working on. Darkish blue hair fell in front of his eyes.

"You're late." He observed coldly. Ace laughed, and shrugged off Julius' accusation.

"I would be a lot later if I hadn't run into Alice. Wasn't she nice to walk me here?" he asked.

Julius muttered something under his breath and begun working on the clock in front of him again. Twisting the final screw on, he placed the finished clock beside him. Grabbing another clock, he wordlessly began working again.

Alice stepped forward. "Julius," she said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but something came up while I was in the forest. Or should I say," She continued, glancing at Tsubasa, "Someone came down?"

Julius lifted his eyes slowly. He looked back and forth between the two. Finally, he sighed, and put his screwdriver down.

"Ace, please wait outside." He ordered the knight. Ace nodded mutely and left the room without making noise. When the door closed shut behind him, Julius sighed deeply. He ran a hand down his face.

"Who is this girl?" he asked, "And why is she in my tower?"

 **End of chapter 1! I hope Ace, Julius, and Alice sounded in character. If not, tell me because I'll try and fix it. Soooo we have a new foreigner?! Tsubasa may seem a little weird right now, but she might grow on you…. (Oh, and that part where Tsubasa first met Ace? That's an important scene. XD) Chapter 2 coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2: They're all insane!

**Chapter 2**

 **Yay! Finally uploaded the second chapter! The story switches to Tsubasa's point of view in this chapter. Sorry for any confusion. :P**

Tsubasa was having a bad day. No, that was an understatement. This was the shittiest, messed up, bizarre day of her life. Falling from the sky was bad enough. Making a fool of herself in front of Alice was even worse. But seeing… _him_ , she shuddered inwardly. That was downright wrong.

 _It's not who you think it is_. She reminded herself, looking at the closed door. _His name is Ace and you've never met him before._

Now she stood inside the Clock Tower, facing the so-called clockmaker Julius. He glowered at her skeptically.

"Who is this girl?" he asked, "And why is she here?"

Tsubasa grit her teeth angrily. "You don't have to ask Alice. I can answer for myself you know." She retorted. "For your information, my name is Tsubasa Rakka, and I was kidnapped by a psychotic, deranged rabbit named Peter White."

Alice groaned. "Peter?! You've got to be kidding me." She balled her hands into fists. "Just wait till I see that-."

"No need." Tsubasa interrupted bluntly. "I kicked the bastard in the crotch." She grinned devilishly. "I don't think he'll be standing straight for a while."

The room was dead silent. Julius coughed uncertainly.

"You kicked him." He muttered.

"In the balls." Tsubasa confirmed. The more she remembered about her abduction, the further irritated she got.

"He dropped me down this god-forsaken hole and made me drink some weird potion." She growled. "And that's not the worst part! The bastard kissed me! KISSED ME!" she yelled. "So yeah! He got what he deserved! And when I find him again, I'm going TO KILL THAT BASTARD!"

The door creaked open. Ace poked his head in. "Can I come in yet?" he asked.

"NO!" shouted Tsubasa.

Alice stood speechless. Tsubasa blinked twice. The fury vanished from her eyes, filling with mortification instead.

"Oh crap, not again!" she wailed, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Tsubasa flopped onto the ground curling up into a ball. She hid her head between her knees.

Alice and Julius shared a long look. Julius motioned Ace into the room. The tree stared down at Tsubasa. Between her legs she mumbled something.

"What did she say?" Ace asked.

Tsubasa popped her head up. "I said don't come into the room you idiot of a knight!" she snapped.

Alice stepped between the two. "Enough guys!" she commanded, "Ace come with me. We're waiting outside. Tsubasa, stay with Julius. He'll explain everything."

"But-!"

"No buts!" Alice ordered. She shot a death glare at Tsubasa. Grabbing Ace's hand, Alice marched out of the room. Tsubasa slowly turned to Julius, who looked just as unhappy about the turn of events. With a flick of his hand, two cups of coffee sat steaming on the table. Tsubasa's eyes widened.

"Sit down." Julius told her. "We have a lot to talk about."

Tsubasa took a sip of the coffee. It tasted delicious, perfectly brewed. If Julius had one good point about him, it was his coffee.

"So am I allowed to ask questions?"

"No." Julius growled. "Just be quiet and listen to me."

Tsubasa frowned, nut did not object. Julius took a deep breath.

"To start, the name of this world is Wonderland, also known as the Country of Hearts. There are four main territories: The Hatter Mansion, Heart Castle, the Amusement Park, and my Clock Tower. The groups are constantly fighting each other, attempting to gain more territory. The Clock Tower is the only place where you cannot fight. It's considered safe ground. In each territory, there are two kinds of people-"

"What kind of people?" Tsubasa accidently cut in. "Like good and bad?"

"Was about to tell you before you so rudely interrupted me." Julius criticized. "The first kind are called Role-Holders such as Ace and myself. We each have a certain duty we must perform in Wonderland. All Role-Holders have faces. Then there are the faceless. They have no particular role in Wonderland. Most of the faceless serve under a Role-Holder."

"They… have no face?" Tsubasa shuddered.

Julius stared blankly at her. "Of course. I thought the name was self-explanatory." He took a sip of coffee.

"So I would be a role holder then right?" Tsubasa guessed. "Because I have a face."

Julius shook his head. It gave his hair the effect of rippling water.

"You are neither a Role-Holder, nor a faceless." He explained. "Rather a more appropriate term would be foreigner, since you came from another world."

Tsubasa glanced at her long brown hair and purple outfit. In her opinion, she certainly didn't look like a foreigner. Julius seemed to read her thoughts.

"It's not just in your looks," he said, "But more in what you're made of. Role-Holders can sense a foreigner if they're close by."

"Well that explains everything." Tsubasa said sarcastically. "It's what I'm _made_ of. So are you guys robots or something?" She poked Julius' arm curiously. He batted her hand away irritably.

"I'm human. I bleed." He said looking away. "Maybe I shouldn't say. It's too early in the game."

"Excuse me?" Tsubasa sniffed. "I'm not a child you know. And what game are you talking about?"

Julius faced palmed himself. "You're such a… never mind."

He pushed his coffee to the side resentfully. Folding his hands, he glared sullenly at Tsubasa, who looked just as exasperated.

"The Game of Hearts." Julius said. "To compete you need to be a foreigner and you must drink the Medicine of the Heart. You remember the clear liquid Peter made you drink?"

Tsubasa nodded sourly.

Julius continued, "Once the potion had touched your lips, you became a contender in the game. Only by winning the game can you go back to your world. There are three rules: One, you need to fill your vial. In this case, the vial that held the medicine. It's the key to your return home so don't lose or break it. Two, to fill your vial, you need to interact with Wonderland's inhabitants. Three," Julius paused, "Everyone in this world will become attached to you."

He concluded his explanation, and waited for Tsubasa to say something. To his surprise, she remained mute. Her hair fell over her face, concealing her expression.

Julius wondered if she had realized he was done speaking.

"Tsubasa…"

"Everyone will become attached to me?" she whispered, repeating his words. "As in, love me?" Tsubasa looked up, and Julius was startled to see she was angry.

"No! That can't happen! She cried. Julius stepped backwards in alarm. He had not been expecting such an extreme reaction. Tsubasa stood abruptly, knocking her coffee over. It splashed onto the table, sloshing over the surface.

"I'm leaving." Tsubasa informed him. She stalked over to the door and threw it open with a bang. Alice and Ace stood surprised in the hallway. It was apparent they had been eavesdropping in on the conversation. Tsubasa brushed past both of them, hurrying to the stairs.

"Tsubasa, wait!" Alice cried, but her words had no effect on the brunette. Tsubasa turned the corner, and her hair whipped out of sight.

Julius stepped out of his room. Ace and Alice both looked at him.

"She didn't take it very well." Ace observed.

Julius shook his head. "She was taking everything in pretty well until the end." He glanced back at the spilled coffee. It had reached the end of the table, and was beginning to drip onto the floor. With a clap of his hands, the coffee vanished, leaving both the table and the floor clean.

Alice looked at Julius. "We have to go after her." She said. "Who knows what Role-Holders she'll meet?"

Julius shook his head darkly. "I understand your concerns Alice, but it's too late. I think the best thing to do now is wait for her to calm down."

Alice looked down at her feet. She heard Julius walk back into his room. Ace followed him.

"Come in Alice." Julius told her, waiting at the doorway. "I have the feeling it's going to be a while before Tsubasa comes back."

Ace took her hand. "Don't worry!" He comforted. "Tsubasa doesn't seem like someone who gets lost very easily."

Alice smiled. "Jealous Ace?"

"Mm, maybe a little. But that just gives me another reason to kill her."

"Ace! Don't say things like that!"

"Ha, ha, ha! Just joking Alice~!"

Julius herded them inside the room. "Be quiet both of you. I still need peace and quiet." He grabbed a wrench of its hook. "If you're going to squabble, someone might get hurt..."

Alice and Ace both eyed the large wrench Julius held in his hands. Without saying a word, they both sat obediently in chairs.

"That's better." Julius grunted. He sat behind his desk and began working on a clock.

Alice sighed, looking out the window facing her. She began preparing for the long wait of Tsubasa's return…

 **End of Chapter 2**

 **I've almost finished chapter three too, so expect it soon! I love the weekends when I can just write stuff. It's so much easier. (^.^)**

 **If you have a preference on which Role-Holder Tsubasa meets next let me know! Are these chapters too short too? I'm not sure what a normal length would be…**


	3. Chapter 3: Kitty?

**Chapter 3**

 **Enjoying the story so far? Unfortunately, I'm predicting that Alice, Ace, and Julius won't be in the next few chapters. Tsubasa's going to be meeting a bunch of Role-Holders! I can't wait to see how she reacts to them XD**

After her mad dash from the Clock Tower, Tsubasa had run back into the forest. She felt guilty about spilling the coffee, but it couldn't be helped. There was no way on Earth she was going back. Julius' words rang over and over in her head: _'Everyone in this world will become attached to you.'_

Tsubasa stopped running. She placed a hand on her chest. Inside her heart, she sensed something. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time: the numb feeling of fear.

A bird call snapped her from her thoughts. _This doesn't look like the path from before_. She noticed, glancing left and right at the forest. _I must have taken a different one accidently._

There was a rustle to her right, and she tensed, imagining the fool of a knight crashing through like their first encounter. However, her fears proved invalid. A cat emerged from the undergrowth. It had a sleek purplish pink coat. Tsubasa spotted earring piercings on its right ear, but she decided not to question it. She had seen stranger today.

The cat regarded Tsubasa curiously. It sat on its haunches, blinking its large yellow eyes at her. Tsubasa cautiously reached out a hand. _Will it bite me if I try to pet it?_ She wondered. The cat seemed to notice her hesitation. It padded closer to her, pushing its nose against her hand.

Tsubasa giggled. Its nose was ticklish. She collapsed on the ground, crossing her legs. With more confidence, she began to stroke its fur. The purring increased.

"You're so cute." She told it. "I always wanted a cat when I was younger."

Tsubasa's eyes clouded as she became lost in the past. The cat felt her hand pause mid scratch. He looked up, as if wondering what the matter was.

Tsubasa flopped on her back, watching clouds laze by. "Cats are lucky." She sighed, "They don't have to worry about being someone they're not."

"You'd be surprised what cats think."

Tsubasa looked over to her left. A young man lay next to her, looking at the sky. He glanced over, and smiled mischievously.

 ***4 second pause***

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"EEEEH?!" Tsubasa screamed. She started scooching backwards at an alarming speed. She glared suspiciously at the man.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the cat you've always wanted." He grinned. "At least, that's what you just told me."

"I was talking to the cat." She growled, examining the ground. In her panic, Tsubasa had forgotten about her feline friend. To her distress, the cat was nowhere in sight.

"Great, now you've scared it away." She accused the man. "It's gone."

"Are you sure about that?"

Something in his tone of voice made Tsubasa glance up from her search. She fully regarded the man. He was about her age, wearing black punk clothes. A fuzzy boa made of magenta fur was draped casually across his shoulders. He had purplish pink hair that fell over one eye. And on top of his head…

"WHAAAAT?!" she shrieked in confusion. The man covered his two cat ears in pain.

"Don't shout so loudly." He groaned. "Totally uncool."

"B-but you're a, a-!"

"Cat?" he grinned. "Yeah, I am." The man stood up, revealing a long pink tail. He easily lifted Tsubasa to her feet. She was speechless for once.

"I'm Boris." He winked, "The Cheshire Cat of Wonderland."

Tsubasa stared at his piercing yellow eyes.

"You have a face." She said, finding the courage to speak. "You're a Role-Holder."

Boris' tail twitched. "And you're a foreigner." He replied. "You smell awesome! It's really different than Alice's smell though."

Tsubasa's face slackened in disbelief. _He's complimenting me on my smell?_ She thought. _What the heck?_

"So you're the cat I was petting?" she asked, still not exactly comprehending what was going on. Boris nodded his head. His ears twitched.

"Do you want to see my other form again?" he proposed. "I can change at will."

"Sure." She replied.

"Say please."

Tsubasa closed her eyes in frustration. He was toying with her.

"Please."

When she opened her eyes, the cat from before sat in front of her. It brushed against her leg, as though pleading for another round of petting. Against her will, Tsubasa scooped up the cat and started to scratch its ears. Boris Kitty purred in content.

 _What am I doing?_ She wondered. _This is still an actual person!_

But she continued stroking Boris' fur. _It's really soft_. She observed. He purred, snuggling in her arms. With a great amount of difficulty, Tsubasa set him down again. Boris transformed back into his normal self. He lay on the ground with his eyes closed.

"Mmm, that was so good!" he purred. His tail swished back and forth.

Tsubasa crossed her arms. Now that he was human once more, she felt her defensive walls rising up again.

"Well now that you've had your little scratching session, I'm going to leave." She turned away. Boris scrabbled to his feet. He hastily grabbed her hand.

"Don't go!" he pleaded. "We've only just met!"

Tsubasa faced him. She arched an eyebrow.

"I really don't feel like talking right now." She said, yanking herself from his grip. Boris pouted. His ears drooped sadly. It only lasted for a second, until an idea struck him. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Then come with me to the Amusement Park!" he exclaimed. "There are rollercoasters and other super fun rides! Plus you can personally meet the owner, Gowland." Boris laughed. "The old fart would love to meet you!"

Tsubasa's expression softened. The lure of the Amusement Park did sound fun. Plus, she loved roller-coasters. Boris grinned wider, and held out a hand to her. She had just begun to take it when Julius' faces flashed in front of her eyes. _'Everyone in this world will become attached to you.'_

She snatched her hand back swiftly. Boris' eyes clouded in confusion.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Tsubasa told him. She needed to keep her distance from everyone here. It was the only way to make sure they didn't become close to her. She couldn't let anyone fall in love with her.

Boris scratched his ear. "Dang. I thought for sure you'd want to go." He said.

 _Interesting_ , Tsubasa thought, _He doesn't sound very disappointed anymore._

Suddenly, she found herself swept off her feet. Boris was carrying her princess style. She flailed her legs wildly.

"What the hell?!" she screamed.

Boris smiled impishly at her. "Looks like I'll just have to kidnap you." He informed her.

"No!" Tsubasa yelled, struggling to get out of his arms. She pounded on his chest desperately. "I am SO done with kidnapping!"

"Too bad." Boris empathized flatly. "You're still going to the Amusement Park."

He carried her over to the side of the path. There was a door attached to a tree. Tsubasa was certain it hadn't been there a moment before. It swung open as Boris approached. Inside the door was nothing but blackness.

"Let's take a shortcut." Boris suggested. He jumped through the doorway as Tsubasa shut her eyes tight.

"Stupid Wonderland!" she cursed.

 **Eheh. So that's chapter three. I took a little liberty with the whole Boris turning into a cat thing, but hey! If Peter can turn into a rabbit, then Boris can turn into a cat! I can't wait to see Tsubasa's reaction to Gowland. I know for certain it's going to be hilarious! Maybe he'll play a song of welcome for the occasion of her arrival… XD (I know this chapter's kind of shorter than the others. Sorry!)**

 **Ace: Booo. Why does the kitty get all the fun?**

 **Tsubasa: Argh! Ace, how did you get into the comments?!**

 **Ace: Hey don't get mad at me. It was Blood's idea.**

 **Tsubasa: Blood's here too?!**

 **Blood: Young lady, if you continue to scream, I'm afraid you'll have to leave.**

 **Ace: That wouldn't be so bad.**

 **Tsubasa: *throws Blood's cane at his head***

 **Ace: *Dodges and laughs* Uh oh! She's mad now!**

 **Tsubasa: Just die already!**

 ***sound of squabbling***

 **Blood: How irritable.**

 **Elliot: Tsubasa does not own HnKnA.**


	4. Chapter 4: Fading Memories

**Chapter 4**

 **Ugh, now that the characters can enter the commentary section, I don't think I'll get any peace.**

 **Blood: It's not like you had any to begin with.**

 **Ace: *laughs* Admit it Tsubasa, you would be bored without us.**

 **Tsubasa: Don't be so sure… I can always delete you from the story. It's just one push of the button.**

 **Ace: …**

 **Tsubasa: Or I could write humiliating things about you… Yeah, I think I kind of like that idea…**

 **Blood: *coughs nervously* Let's get on with the story.**

 **Boris: Tsubasa doesn't own HnKnA**

 _…_

 **Previously in the story…**

 _He carried her over to the side of the path. There was a door attached to a tree. Tsubasa was certain it hadn't been there a moment before. It swung open as Boris approached. Inside the door was nothing but blackness._

 _"_ _Let's take a shortcut." Boris suggested. He jumped through the doorway as Tsubasa shut her eyes tight._

 _"_ _Stupid Wonderland!" she cursed._

 _…_

 _Well this was not what I expected._ Tsubasa thought. She floated in blackness. It wasn't all that interesting, just a black void that stretched for all eternity. Tsubasa looked down at herself. How strange it was that she could see herself clear as day, but there was no light.

"What a predicament." She muttered out loud. "Perhaps I'll float here forever and never make it home."

"That's quite a possibility." called a voice. If she was standing, Tsubasa would have jumped a mile high. She had definitely not been expecting an answer. Glancing around, she looked for the source. _Am I imagining things?_ She wondered.

"I assure you you're not." soothed the voice. Great they could read her thoughts. Although she strained her eyes, the blackness gave nothing away. She pondered whether Boris was playing a trick on her.

"Show yourself!" she commanded. The voice sighed, the sound echoing through the blackness. No one emerged, and Tsubasa began to doubt if they would actually appear.

Her nose picked up on the smell of lavender. A hand tapped her shoulder lightly. Tsubasa rotated in the air to see a man frowning at her, but realized his frown was actually a smile. He hung upside down, his stormy grey hair dangling. The man turned right-side up. A patch covered his left eye.

"Hello Tsubasa." he smiled pleasantly. A hookah floated next to him. The man inhaled a bit, then released a puff of smoke. The smell of lavender grew stronger. Without meaning to, Tsubasa flashed back to when she and her twin Ryun were younger…

 _Little Tsubasa had been jolted awake from a nightmare. She began to cry, waking her twin. He drowsily blinked sleep from his eyes._

 _"_ _What's wrong?" he asked. "Did you have a scary dream?"_

 _Little Tsubasa nodded, her cheeks streaked with tears. She sniffed and wiped them, but they continued to overflow. Tears dripped onto the bedsheets._

 _Ryun looked around the room. Spotting the flower vase, he got out of bed. Plucking a few from their stem, he brought them back over to Tsubasa. She blinked at him through watery eyes._

 _"_ _Sniff them!" he told her. "Mommy said lavender calms you down."_

 _Little Tsubasa took the fragile flowers gratefully. She sniffed the lavender timidly. A small smile escaped from her mouth. She wiped her eyes again, and this time they remained dry._

 _Getting back into bed, Ryun held her hands tight._

 _"_ _I'm gonna pick a bunch of lavender for you tomorrow!" he promised her. "That way you'll never have scary dreams anymore!"_

 _Little Tsubasa gripped his hands tighter. The two fell asleep together, the lavender still between them…_

Present day Tsubasa touched the cloud of smoke. It dissolved out of sight, taking the smell of lavender with it. She looked back at the man.

"You're Nightmare." She stated. Tsubasa wasn't exactly sure how she knew this. Maybe the remembrance of the lavender had triggered something in her memory, or maybe it just felt fitting for him. The man said nothing, but snapped his fingers. His hookah vanished. Tsubasa waited patiently for an answer.

"That is correct." Nightmare said. He floated closer to her. "You're pretty clever for an outsider."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Tsubasa retorted. Nightmare smiled warmly. He seemed to radiate sunshine and summertime which made no sense when his name was Nightmare.

"It was a compliment." He answered. They floated in silence together. Tsubasa sighed contently. The peacefulness was a nice escape from the craziness of her life right now.

Nightmare watched her out of the corner of his silver eye. "I see you're having a bit of difficulty adjusting to Wonderland." he commented, picking up on her thoughts.

Tsubasa snorted loudly. "That's an understatement." she told him. Suddenly her eyes grew distant and she turned her head from him.

"I shouldn't be talking to you." She murmured. Nightmare raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Are you afraid of me?" he asked. Nightmare knew what was truly in her heart, but he wanted her to say it herself.

"I…" Tsubasa faltered, "I'm not." She looked down anxiously. Nightmare waited for her to continue. Her thoughts were practically screaming at him now.

Tsubasa picked at her apron miserably. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of love." She whispered. "Nothing good comes from it. If I become attached to people, or if they become attached to me, they get hurt. I'm like a disease that can't be controlled." She shuddered. "No one deserves to suffer because of me."

Nightmare conjured a dove made of smoke. With a single breath, it fluttered its wings and took flight. The bird flew around Tsubasa's head, leaving a wispy trail of vapor. She held out a hand for it softly. Just as the bird touched her skin, it dissolved back into a cloud of smoke. Nightmare cleared the remnants with a sweep of his hand.

"My advice," he told her, "Is don't be afraid. Wonderland is only a dream world. It exists for you as a sanctuary where you can be yourself. As long as you believe in this world and in us, we'll be with you. Think of it like how a bird with needs its wings."

The air around them began to shimmer softly.

"That's my cue." Nightmare announced. He lightly kissed Tsubasa's forehead. "Don't be too rash Tsubasa, and take care."

Tsubasa touched where he had kissed her. Why had he done that? As her surroundings began to dissolve in light, she caught his eye.

"What do you mean 'like a bird needs its wings'?" she inquired.

Nightmare opened his mouth, but it was too late. Everything melted into a dazzling light. Even though Tsubasa couldn't see him, she heard Nightmare's voice speak.

"A bird can't fly without wings."

.

.

.

.

.

"… _asa_."

"…ubasa?"

"Tsubasa!"

Tsubasa's eyes fluttered open. She squinted as sunlight pierced her vision. Once her eyes adjusted to the blinding glare, she was able to make out Boris' face filled with concern, a few inches from her own. Realizing she was awake, he sat back, sighing with relief.

"Thank god. When we came out of the door, you were unconscious. I've been trying to wake you for 15 minutes!" Boris clutched his chest. "You gave me a heart attack Tsubasa!"

Tsubasa blinked, dazed at his words. She wondered if she had heard him correctly.

"You were worried about me?" she swallowed. "ME?"

Boris looked away, embarrassed. "Well it's sort of my fault. After all, I took you through the door remember?"

Tsubasa's face flushed with heat. She did remember, and it wasn't exactly making her feel any better. The abduction was something she definitely didn't want to repeat.

The sound of laughter filled her ears. Glancing about, Tsubasa was dazzled with all of the color. It looked like a unicorn had eaten a pack of skittles and then barfed them all over the park. There were teacup rides and rollercoasters larger than any she had ever seen before. Faceless wandered past them, some wearing identical strange orange and yellow bug-like outfits. There were booths too, for food and smaller attractions. Tsubasa hungrily eyed a faceless holding cotton candy.

Boris watched her as thought waiting for something. Guilt flashed in his expression.

"Uh, welcome to the Amusement Park." He said apprehensively.

Tsubasa narrowed her eyes into slits. Boris was right to be jumpy. He had kidnapped her, and he was going to pay for it.

Without warning, she stomped wrathfully on his foot.

"Ow!" Boris cried, grabbing it. He hopped up and down almost comically. While he was distracted, Tsubasa snatched his tail. She yanked it violently. Tears sprang into Boris' eyes.

"That's for abducting me." she hissed. Boris flattened his ears in shame. His tail and foot throbbed painfully.

Then to his surprise, he felt arms wrap around him. Tsubasa hugged Boris tightly, eyes closed. He looked down in confusion.

"Tsubasa?" he said, completely baffled by her mood swing.

"This is for bringing me here." She whispered. "Thank you."

Boris didn't exactly understand what she was saying, but at least she wasn't beating him up anymore. Besides, he got to hug her, which seemed pretty cool. He wrapped his arms around Tsubasa gingerly. She was ice cold to the touch, but he didn't mind. The world seemed to stand still as they embraced. Boris was a little disappointed when she broke away.

Tsubasa smoothed her skirt out as though nothing had happened. "So, are you going to show me around the park or not?" she teased. "I'm looking forward to those rollercoasters."

Boris took her hand. "Right this way Tsubasa." He said, pulling her along. "Let the fun begin."

 **Sorry guys, I haven't gotten to Gowland yet. (Unfortunately) I'll probably put him in the next chapter. It seems like a TsubasaxBoris right now, but that's not actually how it is right now…. I think it's just how their personalities mix together.**

 **Ace: How come you were so much nicer to Boris than me?**

 **Boris: Are you kidding me? She pulled my tail!**

 **Tsubasa: Sorry about that Boris… but you kind of deserved it.**

 **Boris: Well at least I got a hug.**

 **Ace: What? If Boris gets a hug, I want one too~!**

 **Tsubasa: Nooo thank you! Keep your distance, you brute.**

 **Ace: That's a mean thing to say… Besides, I still haven't gotten over on how you threatened me.*Smiles and steps closer***

 **Tsubasa: Boris! Help me out here!**

 **Boris: You know what? I think I want another hug too. *Steps closer too***

 **Tsubasa: Boris!**

 **Ace: Hey, that's not fair. You already got a turn.**

 **Boris: *pulls out gun* You want to fight about it knight?**

 **Ace: Bring it on kitty cat.**

 ***They begin to fight as Tsubasa sneaks away***


	5. Chapter 5: I fall unconcious(again)

**Chapter 5**

 **Thank god I got away from Ace and Boris! (check back to the end of the last chapter) As promised, I'll tell you my new story idea….. at the end of this chapter. Ha ha, enjoy Chapter five of Wonderland Paradox!**

 **Oh, I'm also going to recommend the story Country of Spades by** Allora22701. **It's an amazing piece of work in progress and a totally unique take on Wonderland! I wholeheartedly suggest checking it out if you've read the original HnKnA. Allora's a hilarious writer and gives life to her characters.**

 **Oh, I also really appreciate reviews! It's so exciting when people tell me their thoughts about the story so far :3 You guys are great, and I'm so happy someone actually enjoys this story. Love ya'll!**

 _…_

 _Tsubasa smoothed her skirt out as though nothing had happened. "So, are you going to show me around the park or not?" she teased. "I'm looking forward to those rollercoasters."_

 _Boris took her hand. "Right this way Tsubasa." He said, pulling her along. "Let the fun begin."_

 _…_

As soon as the pair set out, they began to bicker. Tsubasa wanted to do the rollercoasters first. Boris wanted to check out the shooting booth. Finally with a great deal of persuasiveness, (and a little bit of tail pulling) they decided on the teacups.

Tsubasa snickered as Boris climbed into the cup. He sat next to her, looking _very_ uncomfortable. Tiny faceless children were all around them, hurrying into the other cups. Boris looked around restlessly. Realizing the two of them were the oldest ones riding, he ducked his head low, covering his face.

"This is embarrassing." He muttered. "How did you talk me into this again?"

"It must be my natural charm." Tsubasa smirked, flicking a stray strand of hair from her shoulder. "Besides, doing something out of your comfort zone is healthy."

"Healthy." He repeated, unimpressed. "Just don't blame me if I throw up on you."

Indeed, Boris already looked green, and the ride hadn't even started. Tsubasa didn't think he was serious about throwing up, but even so, she made sure to casually shift a couple inches away. Just in case.

As the ride began, the cup slowly started to turn. The children squealed with delight. They started to spin faster, and faster, and faster. Tsubasa raised her arms, her hair whipping around her. Boris scrunched his eyes shut. Everything blurred into incomprehensible streaks.

Twirling, swirling, blurring. It was the fastest tea-cup ride Tsubasa had ever been on. She was glued to her seat, gravity holding her in its immovable grip. Just as she felt a twinge of nauseous in her belly, the cup jerked roughly. Slowly, slowly, everything began to stop spinning and become stable once more. The cup finally came to a complete halt. Tsubasa hopped out, wobbling off balance for a few seconds. Her mind was still on a mental teacup ride, making her vision unstable.

Boris got out behind her as pale as a sheet. Unable to remain standing, he collapsed onto his knees.

"Ugh….. never again." He groaned. "I can't believe I survived."

Tsubasa knelt next to him. She felt a teensy bit guilty about choosing the teacups. Setting her guilt aside, she poked Boris' shoulder playfully, hoping to jolt him back into his normal self.

"Pull yourself together Boris!" she urged. "It's your turn to pick something to do! You wanted to check out the shooting booth right?"

Boris wearily shook his head. He had regained most of his color, and no longer looked like he had swallowed a carton of bleach.

"Not shooting… anymore…" he panted, "…something better…"

"Something better?" Tsubasa repeated confused.

Regaining the use of his legs, Boris stood shakily. He took a few uneven steps, swaying like a drunkard, until his balance was properly restored. Boris looked back at Tsubasa, his toothy grin returning full blast. His canines were sharpened to points.

"Sorry, but you can't know what it is until we get there." He told her. "Close your eyes."

Tsubasa obliged without protest. Boris waved his hand in front of her face to make sure she wasn't peeking. Satisfied she wasn't looking, he grabbed her hands leading her through the park. Tsubasa didn't like depending on others, but she was curious to see what he had planned for them. She felt Boris leading her left, then straight, then left again. They continued straightforward without any more turns. Twice, Tsubasa was tempted to see where they were headed, but refrained from opening her eyes. Two more right turns and a left turn later, Boris put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"We're here~!" he sang. Tsubasa opened her eyes. Boris stood in front of her, looking very pleased with himself. And behind him was…

"Oh HELL NO!" she paled, turning white. Boris pushed her forward step by step towards the haunted house. She dug her heels into the ground, but it was useless.

"Oh come on," Boris said. "You don't mind beating others up, but you won't do haunted houses?"

"They're not the same thing!" Tsubasa protested.

"At any rate, it doesn't matter. I chose it as our next thing to do!" Boris declared, "Besides, this is payback for the teacup ride."

Tsubasa glared daggers at him. "You monster." She scowled.

Boris grinned evilly. "Speak for yourself." He retorted. "But I have the feeling you won't be so cheeky once we're in the haunted house."

Enjoying the satisfaction of seeing Tsubasa's expression, Boris pushed her inside. The door closed shut behind them, hiding them in darkness.

 **…**

Boris walked out of the haunted house. Tsubasa clung to him with her face buried in his fur boa.

"Tsubasa, it's over." Boris told her, poking her head. She peeked up, making sure he wasn't lying. Realizing he was telling the truth, she instantly jumped away from him.

"Finally," she exhaled, "It's all over! That was _awful_."

Boris leered devilishly at her. "I still don't see what the issue was. There was nothing that scary, in fact, it was pretty lame."

Tsubasa punched his arm. "It was terrifying!" she argued. "I nearly DIED when the headless zombie jumped out next to me!"

"Yeah, I know. You didn't let go of me for the rest of the time. It's hilarious how terrified you were." He snickered.

"Don't mock me!"

Tsubasa's face was flushed. She balled her hands into fists and was ready to slug him, just as a large figure blocked their path. One look at the stranger, and all of Tsubasa's anger vanished.

The man's appearance was outlandish. His auburn hair was wild, pulled into a loose braid. He wore oval spectacles, and a long yellow jacket. On the ends hung tiny horses and music notes. The man smiled down at both of them, straightening his ridiculous outfit.

"What do we have here?" he asked himself pleasantly, scratching his chin stubble. "Surprise, surprise Boris. I thought you were wandering in the woods today."

Boris grinned sheepishly at the man. "Change of plans." He said, "I'm running around the park instead with Tsubasa here."

"He kidnapped me." she interjected brusquely.

The man chuckled heartily. The horses and knickknacks on his coat jangled. "He's not very patient." He chortled. "That's very out of character for you Boris, considering you're part cat."

Boris bristled with indignation. "What's that supposed to mean you old fart?"

The man winked at Tsubasa. She smiled back.

"The name's Gowland darlin'." He introduced. "Welcome to my Amusement Park."

"Is that a first name or a last?" she asked.

Boris snickered as Gowland looked uncomfortable.

"A last name." he coughed. Boris looked like he was about to explode in laughter. Tsubasa was confused. _Did I say something wrong?_ She wondered.

Boris met her eyes. "What Gowland doesn't want to say," he explained through fits of laughter, "Is that he's ashamed of his name."

"I am not!" Gowland protested.

"Are too," Boris shot back. "Go ahead and say it then if you're not embarrassed."

Two pairs of eyes fixed themselves on Gowland. He swallowed slowly, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Your whole name." Boris pressed.

Gowland pulled nervously at his jacket. He muttered something under his breath. Boris coughed purposely and raised an eye brow.

"It's Mar…" Gowland slurred.

"Come again?"

"Mary Gowland!" he roared, turning bright pink.

Tsubasa stared blankly at him for a second. A giggle escaped from her lips, and soon she couldn't control her laughter. Mary Gowland. _Merry-go-round._ Suddenly the horse and music note decorations made sense.

Finally regaining her composure, she looked up at Gowland. His was now in a childish pout, which made him seem even more ludicrous. Tsubasa barely held back another wave of giggles.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "but it's just such a cute name!"

"There's nothing cute about it." He sniffed. "Now ya'll have put of me out of my good mood."

He pulled out a violin from behind him. Boris' smirk instantly fell into a repelled look.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, backing away.

"Improving my mood," Gowland replied. He summoned a bowstring from the air, "and music is the only thing that can make me feel better."

"You play the violin?" Tsubasa gasped, impressed.

"If you can call it playing." Boris mumbled.

Gowland narrowed his eyes at him. "Of course I can play darlin'. Ask Alice, she's heard me preform plenty of times… although recently she's been too busy when I've offered to play…"

As Gowland raised his violin, Boris turned to Tsubasa.

"Tsubasa, because you're my friend, I insist you run." He pleaded.

Tsubasa airily waved his request away. "Oh come on," she scoffed. "How bad could he be?"

SCREEEEEECH! An awful sound ripped through her core. She covered her ears in pain, seeing Boris doing the same. Her teeth vibrated inside her skull. _There's no way…_ she thought, barely able to hear herself think, _He could never be this bad._ But her eyes confirmed what her ears heard. Gowland stood his ground, playing his violin with passionate energy. Lost in his own little world, an ecstatic smile was plastered over his face. It appeared he was oblivious to the horrible racket he was making. The violin screeched like a banshee, filtering through Tsubasa's hands into her ears. Nothing could silence the dreadful music.

She didn't think it could get any worse until Gowland started to sing. He matched his violin very well, which wasn't a compliment. It sounded like a dying cat gurgling acid.

"La, la, laaaa!" Gowland sang.

The noise shattered Tsubasa's ear drums. Clutching them tightly, she couldn't take the pain any longer. Waves of agony roared through her, pounding against her temples. Boris looked over at her in alarm. He tried to say something but was drowned out by the racket. The last thing Tsubasa remembered was Boris reaching for her as she fell backwards. Everything exploded in excruciating pain. It faded to a dull ache, and then eventually, blackness.

 **I know, I know: Tsubasa fell unconscious again. The story would have continued on for a long time if I didn't stop somewhere in this area. (Plus, I think it's funny how Gowland knocks her out. It was going to happen sooner or later to someone. XD)**

 **Gowland: Ouch. You make me sound like a terrible violinist.**

 **Boris: That's because you are, Old man.**

 **Gowland: I may be an adult, but that doesn't mean I'm old!**

 **Boris: *tuning him out* What was that about a new fanfic Tsubasa?**

 **Tsubasa: Oh yeah. Well, it's based off of this super frickin' awesome anime/manga called Yona to the Dawn. Ever heard of it?**

 **Gowland: Nope**

 **Boris: No.**

 **Tsubasa: . . . . . . . . . Well anyways, if you haven't seen it I recommend watching it. The beginning's a little strange, but it gets really good! There's dragon/humans, murder, romance, action whatever stuff you guys are into. If you want to know more about it, PM me.**

 **Boris: That wasn't a very good summary.**

 **Tsubasa: *eyes burn with fire* Shut it Boris.**

 **Boris: *Shuts up***

 **Gowland: Tsubasa does not own HnKnA.**


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting new faces

**Chapter 6**

 **Wow, I'm just flying through this story! Six chapters and I haven't even covered all of the role holders. Maybe I should make my chapters a little longer. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who's been posting reviews and saying such nice things. ;A; THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT! There's been a little talk of a TsubasaxBlood. Out of the blue, who do you think Tsubasa will fall in love with? (If she falls in love at all.)**

 _…_

 _Everything exploded in excruciating pain. It faded to a dull ache, and then eventually, blackness._

 _…_

Groggily, Tsubasa awoke sprawled on the ground. The first thing she noticed was the quietness. Gowland was no longer playing his violin. In fact, he now knelt by her side with two amusement park workers.

"Are you all right miss~?" one of them asked.

Tsubasa nodded faintly. She sat up, only to clutch her head in pain. It felt like a herd of elephants were smashing down on her forehead. She groaned, "Ugh, never mind. I feel terrible."

Boris glowered at Gowland. "This is all your fault. I knew one day you music would seriously kill someone!"

"Does she look dead?" Gowland retorted. He waved away the employees. "Sure, she was knocked unconscious, but she's fine now. Besides, it may not have been my violin. She seemed pretty green coming out from that haunted house."

"I highly doubt that. That thing is the F***ing weapon of the devil."

"Well your opinion don't much matter, does it?"

"Listen up you old fart!"

As they droned on, Tsubasa's mind raged in an emotional conflict. Gowland's music was crap; no one on Earth could deny that. Unfortunately, Gowland was oblivious to how terrible it sounded. She could tell him now, but that would probably mean crushing his heart. If he was Ace, Tsubasa wouldn't hesitate, but this was Gowland, who seemed too sweet and fatherly to tear down. Plus, even if she did tell him, he probably wouldn't be able to take the hint.

Still conflicted, she pondered what to do. Another female worker tapped Gowland on the shoulder. They whispered something urgently in his ear.

"Oh, it's that time again?" he asked. "I'll go back to prepare for them then."

Rising up, Gowland gave Tsubasa a pat on her head which did NOT help her headache.

He gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry that I ruined your date."

Boris and Tsubasa stared blankly at him, "Date?" they chorused together.

Gowland and the park assistant nodded enthusiastically, "They're so adorable," She gushed, holding her face, "walking around the park like lovers."

"I know right?" Gowland sighed happily. "So young and innocent."

Boris turned as pink as his hair. "Don't make this anymore awkward than it already is old man!" he growled.

Tsubasa nodded vigorously. Her cheeks were slightly red as well. "We're just friends Gowland _, friends_."

But Gowland was oblivious to the both of them. He and the faceless were walking away, chattering enthusiastically like teenage girls. They seemed to be disagreeing about ship names. Tsubasa caught a few like 'Basa' and 'Toris'.

Boris ran a hand through his hair. "He needs his brain fixed."

"Or his violin," Tsubasa added, "Maybe it's affecting him."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Excuse me miss."

A baritone voice asserted as Tsubasa was roughly shoved to the side and knocked over. She landed roughly on her butt. With fire in her eyes, Tsubasa whipped her head to glare at the clumsy fool who would _dare_ trip her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

The man looked like a fallen angel, which didn't mean much in her opinion since beauty is only skin deep. Raven black hair fell over his green eyes, and tickled the tip of his shoulders. Obviously eyes equaled a role-holder. They drew her in, calculating and sly, looking under the humongous hat he wore.

Taking her hand in his gloved one, he gracefully pulled Tsubasa to her feet. Standing upright, Tsubasa noticed how tall the man was. At least a head more than herself. She had to tilt her head back slightly to make eye contact.

"My regrets miss." He apologized. "I didn't see you there."

"Of course not. I doubt you see anything from under that hat of yours." Tsubasa countered drily.

She received no response, but the calculating eyes continued to search her face. It was beginning to make her a little uncomfortable. A last he indicated,

"You're a foreigner."

Tsubasa shrugged. "That's true. My name's Tsubasa, if that answers your next question."

Another muscular, auburn haired man with floppy bunny ears arrived behind them.

"Blood!" he called to the man. "We have territory negotiations with the park owner right now. The twins are supposed to be guarding the gate, and I wanna get beck quickly to make sure they stay there!"

Blood glanced back, unconcerned with Elliot's insistence. "As much as I _love_ territory negotiations," he said, in a way that made it seem that he hated the very idea, "tell Mary that I may be a little late. That wouldn't be problem would it Elliot?"

Taking in the scene, Elliot's eyebrows disappeared behind his wavy bangs. His flickered back and forth between Blood and Tsubasa. Finally giving thumbs up, he answered, "That's no problem at all," and headed back down the boardwalk, his ears flopping.

Tsubasa snuck another peek at Blood. He glanced over as well, feeling her stare.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "You could kill me with that glare."

"Was I scowling?" Tsubasa replied, feeling her face relax from the tight expression. "Sorry, must be a force of habit when meeting strangers."

Blood cocked a smirk. _Everyone smiles slightly different here._ Tsubasa noted. Gowland had his kind, fatherly smile, Ace had his idiotic grin, Boris with his cryptic cockiness, and Julius who didn't smile at all. Blood reminded her nothing of the four. Instead he had a sort of . . . arrogant smirk. In fact, he radiated arrogance. The way he stood, the way he tilted his head, it gave him a haughty impression.

"I'd enjoy sticking around to get to know you better," Blood said, "but unfortunately, I have a date with Mary in negotiations."

He bowed smoothly, elegantly taking her hand and brushing his lips on it. Tsubasa's mouth fell open as she felt heat rise into her cheeks. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no sound came out. Blood raised his head until they were eye level.

"Next time we meet will be at my mansion miss foreigner." He informed her. "Come at any time you wish, and please bring Alice."

With a tip of his hat, Blood melted into the throngs of the faceless. He was swallowed up immediately, leaving behind one very dazed foreigner, and one very peeved role-holder.

I looks could kill . . . Tsubasa eyed Boris wryly. His face was bright red with fury and his tail lashed in irritation.

"Look I know it was mean of Blood to completely ignore you-"

"That cheating bastard! He purposely ran into you just so he'd have an excuse to be late for the negotiations, AND he still kissed you!"

"That's what you're angry about?" Tsubasa groaned inwardly. Now that she had time to gather her thoughts, the thing with Blood didn't seem like such a big deal, "Geez, Boris calm down."

Boris sniffed with resent. "I'm totally calm." He said, although his face showed otherwise.

Realizing they would get nowhere on the issue, Tsubasa hastily changed the subject. "You know, we still haven't done the rollercoasters, and I'm dying to ride them! Wanna check it out?"

Boris shook his head, earrings jangling. "I have a better idea." He grinned with shrewd look.

"Better?" Tsubasa echoed, tilting her head to the side. Nothing could be better than the thrill of rollercoasters!

Boris began walking through the crowd. He looked over his shoulder. "I just thought of the idea. Follow me."

Shrugging her shoulders, Tsubasa chased after him. They weaved in and out through the faceless, passing rides and attractions. Boris must have something really exciting in mind. Tsubasa observed. He didn't even glance over when we passed the shooting booth. She picked up the pace, eager now to see the surprise. As they sustained their journey, the crowd began to thin until there was only the two of them. Boris continued heading towards the entrance of the park, but Tsubasa hesitated.

"Is it not in the park?" she asked.

"Nope," he responded, still walking, "Gowland doesn't even know about this spot."

 _Well that's reassuring_. She thought dryly. Tsubasa resumed trailing after him. They exited the park, heading down a path into the woods. Boris was unusually quiet. His eyes were fixed ahead on the path, refusing to look at her.

"Boris, are you still sulking?" Tsubasa guessed. What a child.

"What? No!" Boris objected touchily. At last he looked into her eyes, "I'm just curious. What's your world like?"

"My world?" Tsubasa repeated, "It's similar to this world I guess, except we don't have weirdos like you with ears and tails. I can't say too much for sure yet since I've only been her for a short while." She paused, verbally stating a realization:"It hasn't even been a whole day yet."

"What about your family?" Boris pressed fervently. "Alice talks about her older sister all the time."

Tsubasa whipped her head around violently to glare at him, "I rather not talk on that specific topic." Tsubasa said coldly, all signs of cheerfulness gone. Her face almost seemed haunted. Boris picked up on the hint, and stopped with his questions. The air amongst them became uncomfortable. Tsubasa glowered at the ground. Boris scratched an ear.

"What about your favorites?"

"Huh?"

"Your favorites," he clarified, "like, you know, your favorite color, and food, and weapon."

 _Weapon?_ Tsubasa wondered. _Typical males._ "Well, if you must know, purple is my favorite color, my favorite food is ramen (Yum, I could really go for some ramen), and I didn't really use weapons in my old world so I don't have a favorite. And you?"

"Black, catnip, and of course," he listed without hesitation, pulling something from his furry boa, "my old pistol."

Tsubasa eyed the gun with wariness. Guns made her prickly when she was around them especially since the "incident". She could barely control the surging impulse to smack it out of his hands. To her relief, Boris pocketed it soon after. He pointed to a spot off the path, and they headed in that direction. Unlike the normal path, there were low hanging branches and shrubs pressing in closely on their sides. Since it was too tight to walk side by side, both of them plodded single file with Boris leading the way.

"Do you have a family?" Tsubasa asked tentatively, ducking under a branch.

Boris snorted as thought the very idea was ridiculous. "Of course not." he said. "Our world doesn't exactly work like yours in that aspect. For example, something we can do here that you can't is conjure weapons, see?"

Boris held out his hand. Instantly, his gun appeared in his outstretched palm. Twirling it around, he made the pistol vanish once again.

"Gowland can do something similar with his violin." He added. "Each role-holder's powers are unique to their certain role and personality - Oh look, here we are."

The narrow trail opened into a sheltered clearing. Clover and dandelions speckled the ground in patches, surrounding a massive oak tree in the center. A slight breeze made the flower stems sway as though they were dancing. Sunlight and shadows dappled the ground. Tsubasa gaped in awe, her jaw hanging.

"It's huge!" she cried, heading for the tree. Tsubasa had heard stories of trees this large, but had never seen one in person. About ten people could probably wrap their arms around the circumference of the trunk. She touched the textured grooves in the bark. Little bits and pieces crumbled under her fingers. It must have been hundreds of years old to become this enormous.

Boris seemed pleased with himself. "That's not even the best part." He told her mysteriously.

Pointing to a rabbit-sized hole at the base of the tree, Boris gave her a wink and transformed into his smaller kitty form. With a pang, Tsubasa understood what he was saying. She crossed her arms and planted her feet.

"Oh no," she argued, "I am NOT going to fit through that."

Boris mewled an answer back.

"Sorry, I don't speak cat." She huffed.

Deciding his efforts were a waste on her, Boris-Kitty padded on by himself inside the hole. Tsubasa waited for a few minutes. Realizing that he wouldn't be coming out any time soon, she muttered a curse under her breath and crouched down.

The hole was just big enough for her shoulders to fit. A couple millimeters smaller, and she wouldn't have been able to squeeze in. With a bit of squirming, Tsubasa got half-way through until her butt became stuck, "You have got to be kidding me." she complained. With a yank, Tsubasa tumbled inside of the tree. Plucking a dandelion from her head, she glanced up . . . and nearly died with amazement.

The inside of the tree was hollow. There was a layer of leaves coating the floor, and they crunched as Tsubasa sat down. She craned her neck to marvel at the top of the tree above her. It was completely open, the branches stretching to the sky. Sunlight filtered through them as they danced to the light breeze. A few spiraled down, landing next to her feet. A secret haven, hidden from the world's eyes. Tsubasa smiled to herself. How beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Boris asked shyly. He had transformed back into human form. "This is the first time I've shown someone else this hideout."

She didn't say anything, but words weren't necessary. Boris grinned smugly, pleased with himself. They sat together on the leaves, living in the moment. Tsubasa knew it could never last forever, but for a moment, she forgot of her worries and fears. Things of her past erased. The hurt and the suffering she had been going through these past few months. Closing her eyes, she didn't feel like the shattered pieces she was. For one moment the world seemed normal. Just one moment.

 **Yeah, that was my attempt at a deep moment/ending. Sorry if it sucked. So we're starting to pick up hints about Tsubasa's past! I'm so excited to continue this :) [Alice's POV next chapter]**


	7. Chapter 7: Revenge of the Tsubasa

**Chapter 7**

 **Summer has finally begun! (Yay more time to write) I'm looking forward to those popsicles and fireworks! Maybe I'll do a Wonderland summer OS for fun :) ANYWAYS… another school year's come and gone and yet I still haven't found love *SOB* Life is hard.**

 **Alice: Come on Tsubasa, you think your love life is rough? Please, you know nothing about** ** _real_** **heartbreak.**

 **Tsubasa: W-what's that supposed to mean? Just because the guy you liked pretended to like you just so he could get closer to your older sister and totally broke your heart even though your sister still rejected him doesn't mean I don't know about heartbreak!**

 **Alice: …I-**

 **Ace: Ha ha! Come on guys, I'm pretty sure I've done the most heart breaking here.**

 ***Both girls look skeptically at him***

 **Tsubasa: And what's that supposed to imply?**

 **Alice: I didn't think anyone would ever date you Ace.**

 **Ace: Who said anything about dating? I thought we were talking about heartbreaking?**

 **Tsubasa and Alice: *unanimously* We are.**

 **Ace: Exactly!**

 **Tsubasa: …**

 **Alice: …**

 **Tsubasa: *sweatdrop* What kind of heartbreaking are you talking about Ace?**

 **Ace: You know, the basic kind! Stabbing people in the chest and such! It's definitely the most effective and easiest to do, but you need to aim in just the right spot! Ha ha ha!**

 **Tsubasa: THAT DOESN'T COUNT.**

 **Alice: Tsubasa does not own HnKnA.**

…

 **Previously in our story…**

 _Closing her eyes, she didn't feel like the shattered pieces she was. For one moment the world seemed normal. Just one moment._

…

 **[Alice's POV]**

Alice paced in circles around the tower. She couldn't concentrate. Couldn't stand still. The more she thought about Tsubasa, the worse her mood became. Ace's eyes followed her movement from his seat in the chair. He had decided to stick around the tower, and definitely was not helping her condition.

"Take a chill pill Alice." He advised, "You look terrible!"

"I just know something's happened!" Alice fretted, "She's run into a role-holder or someone dangerous!"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Most have probably sensed her presence in this world already." Julius grunted. Alice pondered his words. It was true role-holders could "sense" foreigners. They all seemed drawn to her like magnets. Everywhere she went, someone she knew would pop up randomly. Who was to say the same thing didn't happen to Tsubasa? In fact, it would make sense.

Alice finally put a halt to her pacing. "I'm going out to look for her." She announced. Waiting around wasn't going to do her much good. Looking for her fellow foreigner would be much more helpful than sitting around twiddling her thumbs. Besides, she wanted to figure out why Tsubasa had fled the tower, and the best way to that that was to ask the brunette herself.

Ace stood up. His red eyes sparkled with the excitement of a child, "If it's an adventure then I'm coming along!"

Just as he stepped towards Alice, Julius caught his arm. "You're needed here." he objected, "Because you were late delivering those clocks, I'm behind in my work. As punishment you're helping me by getting spare gear parts."

"But Julius~!"

While Ace was distracted, Alice slipped out the door. She hustled down the stairs and outside. Looking down the paths leading to different domains, she felt stumped. Which one did she take? _If I were Tsubasa, where would I go?_ She wondered. If only she had the ability to sense foreigners like the other role-holders. Maybe it would have been better to have taken Ace with her, but now it was too late. She couldn't imagine Julius skipping work and running around Wonderland to look for Tsubasa with her either. If only there was someone else around. . .

"Alice! "

Alice's line of vision was suddenly smothered in a reddish plaid as she felt all the air being squeezed out of her lungs. _No, no, no_. She thought, feeling her stomach drop. _Worst timing ever._ Two white rabbit ears tickled her forehead.

"Peter." Alice growled, clenching her fists as her clung to her. She swung and hit him squarely in the jaw. Bulls-eye. The prime minister of heart castle went flying, and face planted into the ground. His glasses landed askew on his nose.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT PERSONAL BOUNDARIES?" Alice roared, pointing an accusing finger at him. The pale haired man said nothing, but dusted and adjusted his spectacles. The right side of his was a raw red, but a goofy smile was plastered over his face.

"My love, why would you be so rough? Did I not hug tight enough?" he sang happily, "I may be injured in the head, but luckily I am not dead,"

"Lucky." Alice muttered, "You're lucky I don't nail you in the balls. From what I've heard, you've had a recent experience with that."

Peter winced as though remembering something. Rising to stand he said, "So you've met Tsubasa?"

Alice nodded. "She fell on top of me. I guess that's counts as meeting her."

"Do you like her?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Alice replied, completely baffled. What was this, an interrogation? "Tsubasa seems a little awkward and needs to work on her anger management, but I think she has a good heart."

Peter smiled again, but it stopped short of his pale red eyes. "A good heart," he echoed, "Maybe here she _can_ have a good heart."

"Peter?" Alice questioned. She had thought he have recited some crazy love poem about Tsubasa or something like that. Peter was acting the complete opposite of how he usually was around Alice. Strange as it was, his lovey-dovey attitude was all but nonexistent. He had even stopped hanging off of her arm. "You didn't really bring Tsubasa here because you love her, did you?"

"Are you jealous?" Peter perked up, eyes sparkling, "Never fear my dear! There's enough of me right here!"

Alice groaned, rubbing her temples. "Enough with the rhyming." She could almost see the imaginary hearts floating around him. Eyeing peter with disgust, an idea wormed its way into her mind. "Peter, do you think you could sense where Tsubasa is?"

Peter blinked twice. "Of course." He confirmed, brushing bangs away from his eyes, "Any role-holder can tell where she is. It's a little harder when you're farther away, but with a lot of concentration, I can pin-point her exact location. Why?"

Alice clapped in delight. What luck! It seemed Peter was a blessing in disguise. He could guide her right to Tsubasa, and she could fix this whole mess. Alice pointed at Peter. "Lead the way."

Like an obedient puppy, Peter instantly jumped to the task. "Anything for you Alice~!" He began skipping down the Amusement park path. Alice followed at a brisk pace. They hadn't been walking for maybe five minutes when two hazy shapes appeared in the distance. Growing closer, Alice made out her fuchsia haired friend, side by side with the purple eyed brunette she'd been searching for.

"Boris, Tsubasa!"

"Alice!"

Alice!"

"Tsubasa!~" Peter flung himself at Tsubasa. He gave her a bone-crushing hug, as his ears wiggled in delight. On cue, Tsubasa's knee nailed him in the crotch. Squeaking pitifully, Peter collapsed, clutching his groin in agony. Tsubasa loomed over him, a hurricane brewing in her eyes.

"Who the HELL do you think you are?" she roared, "I almost DIED thanks to you and your damn bunny ears! Do you think I wanted to come to this hellhole you bastard?! OF COURSE NOT! Now I'm stuck here with all these jerks and weirdos who seem to have nothing better to do than irritate me! I have no f***ing idea why you brought me here, but you better have a good explanation, or **I WILL KILL YOU**."

Boris and Alice stood frozen to the ground, their faces pale. Tsubasa glared daggers at Peter, waiting for his reply. Peter smiled, clueless. "Why? Because you belong here Tsubasa!" he chirped. (Yes he actually did chirp.)

Tsubasa narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Die." She slammed her foot down on his shoe. Boris winced in sympathy. He had never liked the PM, but he knew all too well the wrath of Tsubasa, having personal experience. Peter collapsed on the ground, twitching.

Turning on her heel, Tsubasa marched down the path, nose in the air. Alice looked apologetically at Boris, "Do you think you could take him back to the castle?" she asked, staring down at the quivering lump of Peter, "I'm going to try to calm Tsubasa down."

Boris nodded slightly. Hooking an arm around the white rabbit, he began to drag the Prime Minister.

"Good luck with that." He jerked his head towards Tsubasa's retreating form. "She's quite the handful."

Alice smiled gratefully, "Don't I know it." She gave a light laugh, "I'm just relieved that she ran into you rather than a different role-holder."

Boris blushed deeply, his face turning as pink as his hair. Then Peter gave a moan which made the two of them glance at him. Boris took a few more steps back. He opened to door that had just appeared behind him with his free hand. "See you around Alice." He grinned mischievously, jumping through the door into darkness beyond. "Come play with me soon!"

The door shut on its own and faded away. Alice turned away. She glanced back at the path to check for Tsubasa, only to find in shock that the foreigner was no more than a speck in the distance. "Hey, wait up!" she called, sprinting towards her.

Tsubasa paused midstride. She pivoted around to face Alice. Noticing Peter and Boris were gone, her face visibly relaxed. She let out a sigh and walked over. "Nice to see you again Alice."

" **NICE?!** " Alice shrieked, "' _Nice to see you?_ ' That's all you have to say for yourself?! I was waiting for seven time periods, worrying about you! **SEVEN TIME PERIODS!** "

Tsubasa shrank under Alice's ferocious gaze. She looked like a child being reprimanded. "B-but how was I supposed to know?" she protested lamely, "What the heck are time periods anyways?!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth, they found themselves in darkness. Wondering what was happening, Tsubasa tilted her head up to the sky and watched the afternoon skies melt into twilight. The midday sun that was once high in the sky had been swapped for a crescent moon. Stars blinked into existence one-by-one as they twinkled down merrily at both foreigners.

"That," Alice answered, "Is a time change."

 **It's a pretty uneventful chapter, I know. Hopefully the plot will start to move next chapter. So many ideas, so little time! The most frustrating part is connecting them all together and making sure there are no coincidence gaps. Summertime in wonderland OS coming up too! I'll update after a few reviews!**

 **Sayonara!**


End file.
